The present invention relates to wetting apparatus for wetting of hydrophilic urinary catheters comprising a wetting receptacle which defines a wetting fluid receiving area which is adapted to receive a hydrophilic urinary catheter and a hydrophilic urinary catheter wetting fluid container having a discharge outlet movable from a closed position to an open position on application of a predetermined condition thereto to enable the wetting fluid to be discharged from the wetting fluid container into the wetting fluid receiving area for wetting of the hydrophilic urinary catheter. The present invention further relates to a fluid container of a type which may be used in such apparatus.
Intermittent self-catheterisation is widely employed by patients suffering from for example strictures or traumas in the urinary system as well as by paralysed patients to enable the patients to live a nearly normal home life. Urinary catheters supplied for intermittent self-catheterisation in general need to have a lubricant applied to the outer surfaces thereof to facilitate insertion into the urethra. For example, hydrophilic urinary catheters have a hydrophilic outer surface coating which should be wetted by a fluid such as water or saline for a certain time period prior to insertion thereof into the urethra of a patient for lubrication purposes.
Various methods for lubricating urinary catheters have been previously proposed, examples of which are given below.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,726 makes known a self-lubricating urinary catheter and a method for self-catherisation. The catheter has an annular lubricant reservoir surrounding an inner tube having perforations. As the catheter is inserted into the urethra of a patient lubricant is forced from the reservoir into the inner tube and out into the urethra through a discharge outlet in the catheter. Lubrication of the outer surface of the catheter therefore only takes place as the catheter is being inserted into the urethra of the patient resulting in at least some initial discomfort for the patient on insertion of the catheter.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,728 makes known a catheter package comprising a urinary catheter and a rupturable, lubricant containing pouch. One edge of the pouch is located within the package adjacent to the tip of the catheter and the seal at that edge is made so that it ruptures when the pouch is squeezed thereby to lubricate the tip of the catheter. As only the tip of the catheter is lubricated the patient will still suffer discomfort on insertion of the catheter into the urethra.
Prior UK patent application publication No. 2284764 makes known a catheter and urine collection bag assembly comprising (i) a catheter having a shaft with a rounded tip, a drainage aperture in the tip and a flared portion to the rear of the shaft, and (ii) a urine collection bag within which the catheter is disposed and which at a forward end is formable with an aperture which is sufficiently large to permit the tip and shaft of the catheter to pass through but small enough for the flared portion of the catheter to engage therewith to form a mechanical seal against leakage of urine. Once the catheter has been extended through the aperture it is ready to be inserted into the urethra of a patient. Urine is transported rearwardly through the catheter from the bladder of the patient for collection in the urine collection bag. It is disclosed that a separate, burstable container containing a lubricious substance may be included within the urine collection bag for lubricating the catheter. No details are given, however, of the construction of the container nor of the disposition of the container relative to the catheter.
Applicant""s prior International patent application publication No. WO86/06284 discloses a wetting and storage device for a hydrophilic urinary catheter. A wetting pocket is provided, closed at one end so that it may be filled with a wetting liquid and a hydrophilic urinary catheter is then introduced into the pocket for wetting thereof. No liquid container, though, is provided in the device for releasing wetting liquid into the pocket immediately prior to use of the catheter. Wetting liquid for the pocket therefore has to be supplied separately by the patient. This is inconvenient because a sterile supply of wetting liquid is not necessarily always on hand to the patient and there is a marked possibility of spillage of the wetting liquid.
The hitherto proposed lubricating apparatus for urinary catheters discussed above have the drawback that they make no or inadequate provision for lubricating hydrophilic urinary catheters. As an example, the lubricating arrangements made known in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,728 and UK patent application publication No. 2284764 are for catheters of non-hydrophilic character, the lubricant therefore being a gel which is unsuited for lubricating a hydrophilic catheter. The prior lubricating apparatus therefore fail to provide an integrated supply of hydrophilic urinary catheter wetting fluid let alone an integrated supply of hydrophilic urinary catheter wetting fluid which on discharge results in wetting of the insertable length or substantially the insertable length of a hydrophilic urinary catheter prior to insertion of the catheter into the urethra of a patient.
Patients using hydrophilic urinary catheters accordingly require improved means for lubricating the catheters. The present invention therefore proposes to address this requirement.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a wetting apparatus for wetting a hydrophilic urinary catheter comprising a wetting receptacle which defines a wetting fluid receiving area for receiving a hydrophilic urinary catheter and a hydrophilic urinary catheter wetting fluid container having a discharge outlet movable from a closed position to an open position on application of a predetermined condition thereto to enable the wetting fluid to be discharged from the wetting fluid container, the wetting fluid container being integrated with the wetting receptacle in an operational position in which at least the discharge outlet of the wetting fluid container is disposed within the bounds of the wetting receptacle, the wetting receptacle being so constructed and the wetting fluid container being so disposed relative to the wetting receptacle when in the operational position that application of the predetermined condition to the discharge outlet of the wetting fluid container when in the operational position enables the wetting fluid to be discharged into the wetting fluid receiving area for wetting of the hydrophilic urinary catheter and the wetting fluid receiving area being adapted such that the insertable length or substantially the insertable length of the hydrophilic urinary catheter is wetted by the wetting fluid discharged into the wetting fluid receiving area.
By xe2x80x9cintegratedxe2x80x9d is meant that the wetting fluid container and wetting receptacle are formed into a one-piece unit, that is to say, the wetting fluid container is supported on or by the wetting receptacle.
An xe2x80x9con tapxe2x80x9d supply of lubricant for the hydrophilic urinary catheter is therefore available to the patient and the problem of possible spillage of the wetting fluid alleviated. Furthermore, an increased comfort on insertion of the catheter into the urethra results due to the insertable length or substantially the insertable length of the catheter being lubricated prior to insertion.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a wetting apparatus for wetting a hydrophilic urinary catheter comprising a wetting receptacle which defines a wetting fluid receiving area for receiving a hydrophilic urinary catheter and a hydrophilic urinary catheter wetting fluid container having a discharge outlet movable from a closed position to an open position on application of a predetermined condition thereto to enable the wetting fluid to be discharged from the wetting fluid container, the wetting fluid container being integrable with the wetting receptacle in an operational position in which at least the discharge outlet of the wetting fluid container is disposed within the bounds of the wetting receptacle, the wetting receptacle being so constructed and the wetting fluid container being so disposed relative to the wetting receptacle when in the operational position that application of the predetermined condition to the discharge outlet of the wetting fluid container when in the operational position enables the wetting fluid to be discharged into the wetting fluid receiving area for wetting of the hydrophilic urinary catheter. The problem of possible spillage of the wetting fluid is also alleviated in this case and manufacture, packaging and transport of the apparatus simplified.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the wetting fluid is water or a saline solution.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the wetting fluid receiving area is an elongate pocket of length sufficient to accommodate at least the insertable length of the hydrophilic urinary catheter and the wetting fluid container is adapted to contain sufficient wetting fluid to fill the pocket to a level for wetting at least the insertable length of the hydrophilic urinary catheter.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the wetting receptacle is a urine collection bag, the elongate pocket forms the forward portion of the urine collection bag and presents an open rear end and a weakened closed forward end which is removable upon application of a predetermined pressure thereto thereby to enable a portion of the hydrophilic urinary catheter comprising at least the insertable length thereof to be projected through the forward end of the pocket after wetting thereof for insertion into the urethra of a patient and the urine collection bag further comprises a urine collection chamber to the rear of the elongate pocket, the urine collection chamber having a forward end which is in fluid communication with the open rear end of the pocket and being adapted in use to collect urine transported rearwardly through the hydrophilic urinary catheter after insertion thereof into the urethra of the patient.
A typical sterilising agent which could be used for sterilising the wetting apparatus of the invention is ethylene oxide. Moreover, the fluid in the fluid container would normally be sterile. For these reasons, the wetting fluid container is preferably made of a material which is impermeable or substantially impermeable to ethylene oxide as well as the fluid contained therein. Non-limiting examples of materials satisfying this condition when the fluid is water or saline are aluminium foil, poly(vinylidene chloride) or a metallised film such as metallised poly(ethylene terepthalate).
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the wetting fluid container is fully contained within the bounds of the wetting receptacle and may be permanently fixed to the inner surface of the wetting receptacle.
In an embodiment of the invention the wetting fluid container is an integrally formed compartment of the wetting receptacle.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the wetting receptacle is formed of a flexible material and the discharge outlet is brought to the open position through application of a predetermined force to the wetting fluid container through the material of the wetting receptacle.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the wetting receptacle is provided with an inlet which is in fluid communication with the wetting fluid receiving area and the wetting fluid container is integrable with the wetting receptacle in the operational position by insertion of at least a forward portion thereof in the inlet, the forward portion of the wetting fluid container presenting the discharge outlet.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the wetting fluid container is integrable with the wetting receptacle in the operational position through a friction fit between the wetting fluid container and the inlet of the wetting receptacle.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a fluid container for use with a receptacle having an inlet and a fluid receiving area in fluid communication with the inlet, the fluid container comprising a forward portion which is adapted to be positioned in the inlet of the receptacle and comprises a discharge outlet movable on application of a predetermined condition thereto from a closed position in which the fluid is retained in the fluid container to an open position in which the fluid is dischargeable forwardly from the forward portion of the fluid container, the predetermined condition able to be applied to the discharge outlet when the forward portion of the fluid container is positioned in the inlet to enable the fluid contained in the fluid container to be discharged into the fluid receiving area of the receptacle. The fluid container therefore alleviates the problem of spillage on discharge of the contents into the fluid receiving area.
In an embodiment of the invention according to its third aspect hereinafter to be described the fluid container is for use with a receptacle whose fluid receiving area is adapted in use to receive a hydrophilic urinary catheter and the fluid container contains a fluid which on discharge into the fluid receiving area wets the hydrophilic coating of the catheter.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the fluid container comprises predetermined condition applying means for applying the predetermined condition to the discharge outlet to bring the discharge outlet to the open position.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the forward portion of the fluid container is positioned in the inlet of the receptacle when the fluid container is in the operational position, the fluid container comprises a rearward portion which in the operational position of the fluid container projects from the inlet of the receptacle and the rearward portion comprises at least a part of the predetermined condition applying means.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the discharge outlet comprises an area of weakness in the material of the forward portion of the fluid container which on application of a predetermined force thereto is brought to the open position.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the at least a part of the predetermined condition applying means comprised of the rearward portion of the fluid container is a tab which on application of a predetermined pulling force thereto causes the predetermined force to be applied to the area of weakness in the material of the forward portion of the fluid container.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the area of weakness in the material of the forward portion of the fluid container is a tear line which is torn on application of the predetermined pulling force to the tab. The predetermined condition applying means further comprises holding means for holding the fluid container in the operational position against the action of the predetermined pulling force applied to the tab.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the receptacle is of a flexible material and the holding means is provided on the forward portion to be gripped by a user through the material of the receptacle when the fluid container is in the operational position.
In an embodiment of the invention hereinafter to be described the forward portion of the fluid container presents a forward edge, the tear line extends rearwardly from the forward edge, the tab is a first tab which extends rearwardly from the forward edge of the forward portion on a first side of the tear line and is of such dimensions that when the fluid container is in the operational position the first tab projects from the inlet of the receptacle, the holding means for holding the fluid container in the operational position against the action of the pulling force applied to the first tab is a second tab which extends forwardly from the forward edge on a second opposite side of the tear line and application of a predetermined rearward pulling force on the first tab relative to the second tab causes the tear line to tear and the fluid to be dischargeable from the fluid container into the fluid receiving area of the receptacle.
In embodiments of the invention hereinafter to be described the fluid container takes the form of a sachet.
In an embodiment of the invention according to its third aspect hereinafter to be described the fluid container is adapted to be integrated with the receptacle by friction fit in the inlet of the receptacle to maintain the fluid container in the operational position. An integrated unit is thus obtained having the benefits of the apparatus according to the first and second aspects of the invention.
In an embodiment of the invention according to its third aspect the fluid container contains water or saline and is made of aluminium foil, poly(vinylidene chloride) or a metallised film such as metallised poly(ethylene terepthalate).
The present invention has the advantage of providing a safe, compact, sterile and disposable wetting apparatus for a hydrophilic urinary catheter which is easy to handle. This is due to the provision of a wetting fluid container component part which is adapted to cooperate with a wetting receptacle component part of the apparatus so as to be able to release its contents into the wetting receptacle to wet a hydrophilic urinary catheter placed therein under clean conditions, that is to say, without the need for touching of the catheter, fluid or inner surface of the wetting receptacle thereby avoiding or alleviating the risk of introducing contaminants.